as in seducing
to influence someone with a bribe
meat inspectors were bribed, and the contaminated beef was sold to the public
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Recent Examples of bribing
In 2017, Lee was convicted of bribing then-president Park Geun-hye with almost $8 million to gain her support for a merger.
—
Natasha O'Neill, Vanity Fair, 16 Apr. 2026
And after CLEAResult fired Darlington in 2017, the brothers began bribing CLEAResult employee Peter Marra — sending him cash and gift cards for special favors like getting heads-ups on inspections and audits.
—Rick Sobey, Boston Herald, 4 Apr. 2026
Asha was bribing people to use a scale!
—Rebecca Firkser, Bon Appetit Magazine, 2 Apr. 2026
Trump in February 2025 issued an executive order pausing new investigations under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, which prohibits citizens and companies from bribing foreign entities to advance their business interests.
—Ken B. Morales, ProPublica, 31 Mar. 2026
Saudi Arabia may still be able to get its tankers through the Red Sea by bribing the Houthis, Axios reports.
—Jim Edwards, Fortune, 30 Mar. 2026
Two executives of a large utility, FirstEnergy, are now on trial for allegedly bribing Randazzo, who died by suicide after his own indictment.
—Chicago Tribune, 17 Mar. 2026
Smartmatic's parent company was charged in a Florida federal court in October with conspiring to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act by bribing a Philippine government official to get business, and with conspiring to launder money.
—Aysha Bagchi, USA Today, 10 Mar. 2026
John Herzog, a contractor for an unnamed wine supplier, pleaded guilty last year to bribing Briones and buyers from other retail chains with items such as a $2,000 exercise bike.
—Aldo Toledo, San Francisco Chronicle, 9 Mar. 2026
Natasha O'Neill, Vanity Fair, 16 Apr. 2026
And after CLEAResult fired Darlington in 2017, the brothers began bribing CLEAResult employee Peter Marra — sending him cash and gift cards for special favors like getting heads-ups on inspections and audits.
—Rick Sobey, Boston Herald, 4 Apr. 2026
Asha was bribing people to use a scale!
—Rebecca Firkser, Bon Appetit Magazine, 2 Apr. 2026
Trump in February 2025 issued an executive order pausing new investigations under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, which prohibits citizens and companies from bribing foreign entities to advance their business interests.
—Ken B. Morales, ProPublica, 31 Mar. 2026
Saudi Arabia may still be able to get its tankers through the Red Sea by bribing the Houthis, Axios reports.
—Jim Edwards, Fortune, 30 Mar. 2026
Two executives of a large utility, FirstEnergy, are now on trial for allegedly bribing Randazzo, who died by suicide after his own indictment.
—Chicago Tribune, 17 Mar. 2026
Smartmatic's parent company was charged in a Florida federal court in October with conspiring to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act by bribing a Philippine government official to get business, and with conspiring to launder money.
—Aysha Bagchi, USA Today, 10 Mar. 2026
John Herzog, a contractor for an unnamed wine supplier, pleaded guilty last year to bribing Briones and buyers from other retail chains with items such as a $2,000 exercise bike.
—Aldo Toledo, San Francisco Chronicle, 9 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bribing
Verb
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Nate plays his older neighbors like a fiddle, seducing them with his beauty, money, and youth.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
20 Apr. 2026
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On the left, he’s heralded as the only voice capable of seducing young men disaffected by party politics.—
Abigail Sylvor Greenberg,
Vanity Fair,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
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April and May’s weather seems Edenic, as if Florida is luring us forward towards the burning abyss of July, August, September and at least the first half of October.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
8 May 2026
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The Bears are also weighing a move to Hammond after Indiana’s legislature passed a bill earlier this year aimed at luring the franchise across the state line.—
Jeremy Gorner,
Chicago Tribune,
6 May 2026
Verb
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Cask investing involves buying an oak barrel filled with Scotch — either shortly after the spirit's distillation or having already aged — and allowing its contents to mature over a period of 10 to 20 years, before selling it on.—
Hugh Leask,
CNBC,
9 May 2026
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That can look like the hospital buying a stroke treatment drug, which typically costs $7,000, for less than $2,000, Schultz said.—
Dené K. Dryden,
Twin Cities,
8 May 2026
Verb
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Araghchi questioned whether the latest military exchange was meant to pressure Iran into a peace deal or the result of someone persuading the president of the United States (POTUS) to extend the conflict.—
Michael Loria,
USA Today,
9 May 2026
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Mitchell’s greatest achievement was persuading Congress that effects — not intent — must be the legal standard, because intent can always be disguised.—
Alvin C. Hathaway Sr,
Baltimore Sun,
4 May 2026
Verb
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An early discussion about social contracts comes down to us in Plato’s dialogue Crito in which Socrates, condemned to death for allegedly corrupting the youth, refused an offer to escape from prison.—
George G. Szpiro,
Big Think,
9 Apr. 2026
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Meanwhile, the Pima County Sheriff Office investigating Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance is facing troubles of its own, as a former sheriff has accused current leadership of ‘corrupting’ the crime scene, and a deputy has been arrested and fired on a kidnapping charge.—
Giulia Carbonaro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Their 2022 Pinot Noir has enticing aromas of cherry cola, cinnamon, and red raspberry that lead to delicious flavors of cherry, raspberry, cranberry, and brown baking spices.—
Mike DeSimone,
Robb Report,
1 May 2026
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On Friday, he was charged in Wareham District Court with witness intimidation and enticing a child under 16.—
Flint McColgan,
Boston Herald,
1 May 2026
Verb
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Turner lore suggested the college student was expelled from the Ivy League school for having a female student in his dormitory room.—
Bryan Alexander,
USA Today,
7 May 2026
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Jaxon’s father, Albert Juarez, acknowledged having serious health problems himself and a list of prescription painkillers.—
Julia Prodis Sulek,
Mercury News,
7 May 2026
Verb
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The young woman who sojourned to Oberlin College, where she was wrongfully accused of poisoning her classmates and beaten half to death, who raised her hands in defense of herself, then went on to grip clay and rock and chisel to re-create visions of justice.—
Tyehimba Jess,
ARTnews.com,
17 Apr. 2026
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Protesters, however, say that HERC, which neighbors Target Field near the North Loop neighborhood, is responsible for essentially poisoning people who live nearby.—
Conor Wight,
CBS News,
10 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bribing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bribing. Accessed 11 May. 2026.
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